History Main / GreekChorus

* In ''The Penelopiad'', the maids who are executed by Odysseus serve this role. They critique Odysseus and Penelope's actions in prose and verse, and are especially bitter towards Penelope for allowing them to be killed (when [[PoorCommunicationKills many of them were actually serving as double agents on her orders]]). At the end, they are [[BalefulPolymorph transformed into owls]].

* Allan-a-Dale (voiced by Roger Miller) in Disney's animated version of ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood''. He introduces himself to the audience at the end of the openiing titles, and explains that what we are about to see is the animal kingdom's version of the Robin Hood story. From then on, he largely acts as narrator: only entering the actual action during the fair and the prison break.

'''Kiwi:''' [[BreakingTheFourthWall End the]] [[SelfDeprecation show now]]. ''[flaps his arms]''

-->'''Sir Raven''': Let's watch a clip. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Watch! A! Clip!]]

* The InteractiveNarrator Clopin plays this role in ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. he shows an almost supernatural ability to know what is going on anywhere in Paris, at any time.

* In ''Eurydice'', a PerspectiveFlip of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, a group of stones fill this trope. They offer commentary on the story and advise the characters throughout the play, encouraging them to become unfeeling and cold like the stones themselves are.

-->'''Chowder:''' What should I do, Mung?\\

* In ''Anime/UmiMonogatari'', the shrine maiden comments on the plot at times, and her song delivers clues to its resolution.

A minor character or group of minor characters who offer commentary and/or opinions on the actions of the main characters, usually by BreakingTheFourthWall and addressing the audience directly. Often, they say what the audience thinks (or should think). While a lead character can do this himself, it doesn't make him a Greek Chorus; a proper Greek Chorus differs by being removed from the action and thus able to view it with something approaching objectivity. The role is frequently played by ThoseTwoGuys. It's one use for the FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator.

* Corey Feldman's character (you heard me) in ''Film/TheBurbs''. He's the local delinquent, who observes and comments on his neighbors investigating the newcomer to the block (who they think is a killer) and ends up inviting over his friends to take part.

%%* There is a Greek Chorus in ''Theatre/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' consisting of the extras, the statues atop Notre Dame, the gypsy king Clopin, and occasionally, the main actors themselves (including Frollo and his brother Jehan in ''The Bells of Notre Dame'').

%%* The stage version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' has Babkak, Omar, & Kassim, who were originally written as supporting characters for Aladdin in the film, but dropped from there.

* As ''[[Theatre/MourningBecomesElectra Mourning Becomes Electra]]'' by [[Creator/EugeneONeill Eugene O'Neill]] is a retelling of ''[[Theatre/TheOresteia The Oresteia]]'' by {{Creator/Aeschylus}} set in a 1930s American town, the various townsfolk fill the role of a Greek chorus, commenting on the events of the play and the main characters' behavior.
* In ''[[Theatre/DoctorFaustus Doctor Faustus]]'' by [[Creator/ChristopherMarlowe Christopher Marlowe]], the play is opened, commented on, and closed by a character designated as the "Chorus".

Named for the choruses of [[OlderThanFeudalism ancient Greek]] theatre, who did exactly this. Creator/{{Aristotle}} discussed them in ''Literature/{{Poetics}}'' and warned that they should be used as little as possible, because (in modern paraphrase), what they do is, by definition, ''commentary'', not ''story'' -- and so the story-teller should avoid being sidetracked by using more than it needed to help the story.

%%* Most of the characters in ''Theatre/HowILearnedToDrive'', with the exception of the protagonist Li'l Bit and her abusive uncle, are represented by a chorus that takes on their roles in turn.

* Kang and Kodos from some of the later Treehouse of House of Horror episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' where they appear in a final scene and give a quick remark on the preceeding story.

* Crystal, Chiffon and Ronnette in ''Theatre/LittleShopOfHorrors'' are an interesting example, going back and forth between standing outside the action and commenting on it to the audience, and interacting with the other cast members using no special out-of-character knowledge. You can keep track by the costumes; when they're characters the girls wear worn-down clothing appropriate to residents of Skid Row, and when they're a Greek Chorus they've changed into sparkly dresses.

* In ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'', weirdly enough it's a villain (albeit one who never directly interacts with the main characters) who plays this role: after ''You'll Be Back'', where King George sings about the revolutionary war from his perspective, his next two songs pretty much stick to commenting on the state of America depicted in the musical at the time, from his own quite unique perspective:

* TropeNamer / TropeMaker comes from the Ancient Greeks of-course, and The Muses of Myth/ClassicalMythology - The nine goddesses of the arts - and narratiors of Greek Plays. Actors portraying the Muses would start off as narratiors, then slip into the play as minor back-ground characters and sing, dance, add commentary to the audiance, often in unison.

* The Delta Nu girls from Elle's old sorority in ''Theatre/LegallyBlonde'' serve as this as she journeys to Harvard, acting as a GuardianAngel to her (but somehow are still able to appear to Paulette during ''Music/BendAndSnap'', despite them just being in her mind). [[spoiler: The real Delta Nu girls end up appearing to support Elle during her big trial, with Elle originally confusing them for her imaginary Greek Chorus.]]

%%* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima''

** The {{Idol Singer}}s Hibari Isora and Hikari Utada, aka Double H, from ''Anime/MawaruPenguindrum'' serve the same function, with their OnceAnEpisode [=PSAs=] on the subway referencing events in the plot.

%%* Lenny, Carl, and Moe in ''FanFic/MarijuanaSimpson''.

%%* The whole purpose of the character Kiwi in ''WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}}''.

%%* "Babbit" from ''Manga/KodomoNoOmocha'' is a Greek Chorus. Whether or not it is acknowledged by other characters depends on the situation (it seems to not really exist in serious situations, but may be noticed and perhaps smacked in sillier situations).